Prisons ‘incubators of gangs’ to learn and grow

ALBANY, Ga. — There are at least 1,200 prisoners in Valdosta State Prison who are becoming more educated, said the prison’s chief of security.

They aren’t studying for their GEDs, they are studying how to become better at selling drugs, stolen guns and intimidating their opposition, said Capt. Sherman Maine, who is also the prison’s gang specialist.

“I come from the incubators of gangs,” Maine said. “Gangs form coalitions inside the fence and they (new ones) begin in the system.”

Maine spoke to the monthly meeting of the Gang Task Force in Albany’s Government Center Thursday afternoon. Representatives from most of the law-enforcement agencies in the area were present.

With 300 prisoners who will never leave the facility, the rest are busy working to better earn respect, garner safety, power and money while behind the walls, Maine said.

Because there are so many gangs, putting them together in prison gives rise to, incubates, newly formed coalitions that continue on the outside, Maine added.

The same thing happens at malls and other gathering places, Maine said. The Internet can be used as an instruction manual for “wannabe” gang members to join.

“Just Google Crips or any other gang it will give you all the information you need,” Maine said. “They have their own languages, clothes, symbols and their own culture.”

The gangs are big business inside prison and out. A gang member can buy an $18.95 cell phone and sell it in prison for $400, Maine said. The phones are smuggled in all the time, he added.

The phones are used to arrange killings, payments and drug deals outside the prison, Maine said.

“We confiscate from five to 25 phones a month,” Maine said. “But there are 100s we don’t.”

Putting aside the thought that gangs in prison have gone all friendly and high-tech, Maine had a selection of weapons, known as shanks, to display.

Anyone of the prison-made metal blades could kill. Some of the gangs put notches on their blades to cause more damage.

Holding an about 8-inch blade, Albany City Commissioner Jon Howard said that the weapon affected him.

“I would hate to see what someone would do with this,” Howard said. “It is scary.”

About 20 city, county, law-enforcement officials and concerned citizens at the meeting seemed further committed to fighting the spread of gangs in the area as the meeting closed.